Imagine that you’re at the park, playing football with your friends, or at a picnic with your family. When you all gather around, someone notices an unpleasant smell. Everyone is saying to look under your shoes to make sure you didn’t step on anything. As you look down, you realize the bottom of your shoe is stained. It’s definitely not dirt, so it has to be poop you accidentally stepped on while playing. I don’t know about you but I get disgusted when people don’t pick up after their pets. I think it can be gross to pick it up, but as an owner of two dogs, I know it is my responsibility to do so. But even if it is gross, people should have known that picking up after your pet would be a responsibility when getting it. If you don’t think you can do such a simple act of picking up after them, then maybe getting a pet wasn’t the best idea. You may be wondering why it is such a big idea, but it could really affect other animals, children, and it’s illegal. Most people don’t find it necessary to clean after their pets but it can be really annoying because of how gross it seems.
The reason why feces can be effective towards other animals is because bacteria can stay in the soil for years. If you don’t pick up after your dog, you’re putting other people’s pets at risk by exposing them to harmful bacteria. Children can also be affected by this bacteria while playing outside. People don’t actually realize that dog waste can have as big an impact as burning your lawn if you don’t pick it up. So much bacteria and parasites are inside the waste and it can have the opposite effect of fertilizer. Not only does poop damage the grass and can expose people and animals to bacteria, but it is also against the law to not pick up after your pet. Not picking up after your pet is littering, you aren’t picking up what you left in a public place. People should be a lot more aware of how harmful this is towards our environment, even though it might seem like a silly rule. I think it’s important to remind people to take care of our community and be more aware of the smelly situation.
Mariana Verdi, Choate Rosemary Hall, DMSF